Breaking News: Florida School Shooting Leaves 17 Dead

Seventeen were killed and fifteen others injured, five critically, at the hands of a lone gunman who, armed with multiple magazines and a single assault rifle, shot his way through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"I'm saddened to say 17 people lost their lives. It's catastrophic. There really are no words," Broward County Sherriff Scott Israel said speaking to media.

Students who described the scene as chaotic, were also actively using social media as the gunman was firing indiscriminately. The sounds of shots in the background of videos posted on SnapChat and other platforms can be heard clearly. Students are seen, generally calm, as Parkland SWAT enters the room.

Parents were also active texting their children who were replying back, pleading for their parents to stay away from the area for their own safety.

The Shooting

The shooting unfolded at about 2:30, fourth period for the students at Stoneman Douglas, when a fire alarm, which it was later determined to be pulled by the shooter, who had positioned himself so as to inflict mass casualty taking out as many students as possible while they exited the classroom following fire drill protocol.

The suspect, Nikolaus Cruz, 19, is in custody, according to Israel who also added, "he was a former student who had been expelled." Multiple media reports he may have a diagnosed mental condition, outside of the "horrific homicidal detestable actions" of today.

He also used a smoke grenade, after the students had dropped to the floor to force them to stand or make sudden movement making themselves an easier target.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, located in South Florida, on the Atlantic coast, near Del Ray Beach, Hollywood Florida, and about 45 miles from Miami, is one of the largest school in Broward County with multiple buildings across a wide campus housing 3000 student from grades 9 through 12.

Melissa Falkowski, a teacher, described her decision to hide her students in the closest to CNN's Anderson Cooper. She also added how the school system was prepared for an active shooter. That system wide classes were given and with all the preparations still the loss have casualty made her feel like the government failed them, failed the kids.

The Victims

A total of seventeen patients fatalities were transported to three area hospitals, Broward General, Coral Springs, Broward Health North. Additionally ten patients were admitted with non-life threatening injuries and five others admitted with life threatening injuries.

All sustained some level of gunshots wounds. Out of respect for the patients no information will be release. Of those at Broward Health North three patients were still in surgery.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting now ranks as Number 9 in America's deadliest shootings.

Florida Governor Rick Scott, (R) who ordered the flags flown at half-staff, may have been one of the only politicians in recent days to react honestly. Putting aside partisan politics and towing the party line, he spoke frankly during a press conference expressing the sorrow, and anguish of how could this happen in America.

He is not alone. In the first six weeks of 2018 twelve Police officers across the country have been senselessly murdered in the line of duty. Last month a school shooting in Kentucky. Las Vegas, Orlando, Newtown, Sutherland Springs, Virginia Tech, Aurora, Columbine.

The list of Massacre continues to grow with someone somewhere now, chasing numbers, hoping to live in infamy in the deranged world of serial killers, with so many dying senselessly the statement of How could this happen in America can not be our motto each time a angry, deranged, homicidal sociopath lunatic who had an ID and picked up a gun at a local flea market.

President Donald Trump as well as Vice-President Mike Pence offered prayers. As well meaning as those empty hollow words are there comes a time when prayer is met with action and the time for action is now.

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